Caught in the Cross Fire
by aethra
Summary: When Kendall gets caught in the crossfire, Zach finds himself paying more dearly than he expected. Zendall
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is set during the Dragon story line; I've been playing with the idea since the episode on 8/17 when Kendall told Zach that if she got caught in the crossfire he'd pay.

Chapter One:

Zach let out an impatient sigh for what seemed like the fiftieth time that evening and fought to hold his temper. He was doing his best to help Julia, he really was, but she was not making it easy. He had brought her to this secluded safe house after Kendall tipped off the feds that she was hiding at Wildwind. Now, if he could just get her to stay here she should be safe.

"You said you were going help me, get me his name," she complained. "That's all I want from you. Why haven't you done anything yet?"

He stifled another sigh, Kendall was right; this woman was a complete bitch. "Julia, please," he repeated his explanation, "finding out the name of a mob kingpin is a little more difficult than looking him up in the phonebook or taking out a personal ad. I have people on it, but it's going to take time. Meanwhile, you need to stay here where it's safe."

"No," Julia snapped. "You don't get to tell me what to do. No one gets to tell me what to do ever again. If I wanted someone telling me what to do all the time I would still be in the witness protection program. I don't want that anymore, I already lost nine years of my life and I lost my Noah, now I make the decisions . . . "

Julia droned on and on and Zach tuned her out, she was starting to sound like a broken record. He had decided to help Julia because he felt that he owed it to Maria to keep her sister alive, but really what had he done to deserve this? The woman had no sense of self preservation and no gratitude. He was spending all of his time chasing her around keeping her from getting herself killed. Now he had her stashed in a secret safe house, if she would just stay here until the Dragon was unmasked and taken care of he could wash his hands of her once and for all, and maybe, finally, he could put Maria behind him.

A moment later Zach was startled from his reverie, and Julia from her whining, when the door opened unexpectedly. "What the --" Zach cursed. "What are you doing here? How did you even find this place?" he demanded.

"I'm looking for you," Aidan replied. "As for how I found this place," he glanced disdainfully around the small cabin, "I'm a private detective, Slater; this is what I do."

"Aidan," Julia greeted the Brit with a manic smile remembering their last meeting when she had snuck back to Pine Valley to see her newly resurrected sister. "It's good to see you, maybe you can help me . . ." she trailed off when Aidan failed to even acknowledge her. He was focused on Slater.

"You're coming with me. Let's go," Aidan announced, "now."

"I'm sorry; did we have a date that I didn't know about?" Zach's response was flippant as he tried to maintain a semblance of good humor in the face of the other man's bleak countenance.

Aidan, however, was in not in the mood for jests. He hadn't really cared for Slater before, and now, after everything that had happened, his tolerance for the man was at an all time low. He decided to go with brutal honesty rather than easing into it as he might have for someone he cared about. "You'll have to forgive me for skipping the pleasantries, but you see I found Kendall in a pool of her own blood in the parking lot outside your casino not long ago. So I'm a little preoccupied at the moment." He took vicious pleasure in watching the color drain from Slater's face at his announcement. "Now, since you can't be bothered to answer your cell phone, I had to come looking for you, which didn't make my day any better."

"Is she -" Zach broke off, unable to even utter the words, 'was Kendall dead?'

"She's at the hospital." Aidan answered. "She was stable when I left but there were some complications and the doctor can't operate without your consent. So I came to find you. Now we're going so that you can give it." He turned and left the cabin without another word, confident that Zach would follow.

And Zach did follow Aidan, but he wasn't the only one. "What about me?" Julia called from the doorway.

"What about you?" Aidan answered coldly, aware of the fact that it was Julia's flight from the witness protection program that had brought danger to Pine Valley. That it was Zach's attempt to help her that had made Kendall a target.

"You can't just leave me here," she exclaimed. "What about the Dragon? Zach's supposed to find out who he is for me."

"I'll deal with you later, Julia," Zach answered. "I have to get to my wife. Just stay here and you should be safe enough."

Zach and Aidan arrived at the hospital in record time and were greeted by the familiar sound of Erica Kane throwing a tantrum. "But Joe I don't understand why I can't give the consent. Kendall is my daughter, surely that's good enough."

"I'm sorry, Erica," Joe Martin responded patiently, "but legally, Kendall's husband is her next of kin and when she's incapacitated he is the one who gets to decide her medical treatment. Now I know how worried you are and I assure you that we're doing everything we can. Let's just hope that Slater gets here soon."

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Zach's words were more like bitter self mockery than an attempt at humor.

"Well it's about time you showed up," Erica didn't waste a moment before starting in on him. "My daughter Kendall's life is hanging in the balance and you certainly took your sweet time getting here. I just wish she had done as I asked and divorced you months ago so she wouldn't have to depend on you for something like this. Now if you have a shred of decency in you, you will go and sign those papers so they can operate on Kendall and then leave. You're not wanted here. Kendall's family is here to support her through this terrible ordeal."

"Erica," Zach replied, "I'm Kendall's husband; that makes me her family." He then turned to Joe Martin and said, "What's happened and what do you need from me? I want to know everything about my wife's condition. If this were an emergency surgery you wouldn't need my consent. So what's this all about?"

"You're right," Joe answered, "Kendall's life isn't in any immediate danger; we've got her stabilized. Our main concern now is - Well there's no easy way to say this. The bullet passed very close to Kendall's spinal column. We need to operate in order to determine the extent of the damage and fix what we can. I can't promise anything but I will tell you that the sooner we operate the better Kendall's chances are of making a full recovery."

Zach fought to control the sudden surge of fear, "You're talking about paralysis, aren't you?" he whispered. "Kendall might never walk again."

"That is certainly a risk right now," the doctor answered solemnly. "There is significant swelling in the area, hopefully that, and not more serious damage, accounts for some of the decreased motor functions but we won't know anything until we operate."

"Is the surgery dangerous?" Zach asked. "You said she's stable now, if you operate will that put her life back in jeopardy?"

"I won't lie to you," Joe responded. "There's always a risk with surgery, and Kendall's still weak. But I do believe that this is her best option."

Zach looked away from the doctor his gaze sweeping across the waiting room - all those people glaring at him. Kendall's family and friends - hating him, despising him for being the one who got to make this decision for her. He gladly would have handed the burden over to any one of them, but he couldn't. She was his wife, his responsibility and this was his decision to make. He closed his eyes, and brought his hands up to his face, rubbing his temples as he tried to block out everyone else, block out all of the lights and the noise and God the eyes, all those eyes on him waiting for him to decide. "Do it," he whispered. "Do the surgery. I'll sign whatever you want, just do whatever you have to do."

He walked back into the waiting room, refusing to meet anyone's eyes and collapsed into an empty chair. He rested his elbows on his knees and covered his lowered face with his hands as he tried to picture Kendall paralyzed for the rest of her life. He couldn't imagine his beautiful, vibrant wife confined to a wheelchair.

At long last he looked up and saw Aidan watching him from across the room. He stood up and walked over to where Aidan sat near Lily. Finally, Zach had the courage to ask the question that had been plaguing him since Aidan brought the news of Kendall's injury. "You said you found her? What - what happened?"

Aidan stood and walked away without a word, knowing that Zach would follow him. When he was satisfied that they wouldn't be overheard he turned to face the other man. "Why did you have your phone turned off?" he asked. When Zach didn't answer, he continued, more than willing to twist the knife a little. "When I found her she was still holding her phone. Your number was on the screen. She'd been shot and she called you for help, but you couldn't even take the time to answer your phone."

Zach forced himself to meet Aidan's gaze as he confessed the decision that had seemed so harmless that afternoon but would now probably haunt him for the rest of his life. "I didn't know. Kendall and I have been fighting about Julia; I turned off my phone because I didn't want to deal with her."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Zach shifted uncomfortably in the hard plastic chair and tried to ignore the people surrounding him. It had been hours since his arrival at the hospital and Kendall was still in surgery. He didn't know whether to take that as a sign that the doctors were experiencing success or that the damage was more extensive than he had hoped. He was tired and hungry and no one wanted him here, but he refused to leave. Sitting there Zach was struck by the irony of the situation - had anyone asked him earlier that day for his opinion of his wife, Zach would not have painted a glowing picture. He would have called her annoying at best, a ditz, a bitch, said she was selfish and bitter - and now . . . Now for the first time in years he found himself praying. Praying to a God that he wasn't even sure that he believed in that Kendall might live and be whole. Even if she hated him, divorced him. He could accept that as just penance for his sins. But he didn't know how he would bear it if she died.

He rubbed a hand over his face and slumped a little further down in his seat, but then abruptly sat up straighter when Joe Martin entered the waiting room. He saw Martin look around the room until their eyes met and the doctor began to walk in his direction. When he saw Erica with Jackson hovering by her side go to intercept the man, Zach rose and went to meet them himself. He got to them just as Erica demanded that Joe reveal Kendall's condition.

Seeing Zach nod his consent from his position behind Erica, Joe began to speak. "Kendall is out of surgery and is stable. We were able to repair most of the damage so there is every reason to hope that with time, she'll make a full recovery." Zach's closed his eyes and let out a quick breath as he struggled to contain his relief. He was not in the habit of showing his emotions, but this ordeal had brought a lot of feelings closer to the surface than he liked. He opened his eyes to see Erica hugging Jackson and demanding to see her daughter, while Joe Martin's sympathetic gaze remained fixed on Zach. Zach turned his head away, knowing how little he deserved anyone's sympathy.

Finally turning back to Erica, Joe continued, "I can let you see her one at a time, but I must insist that you let her rest. It's very important that Kendall remain completely still during this critical time right after her surgery, so we have given her drugs to induce a light coma to prevent her from moving around too much and injuring herself further." He looked at Erica and his tone was very stern, "You may be able to rouse her from this, but you shouldn't."

Confident that his lecture about Kendall's condition had been heard, Joe looked to Zach to determine who would be the first to visit Kendall. Seeing Erica bristle at the implication that she might not be the first to see Kendall and unwilling to antagonize her at this point, Zach wordlessly gestured her forward. He wasn't prepared to see her yet anyway.

Zach returned to his chair, overcome by a mixture of relief and fear. Kendall would live - that was one sin that wouldn't yet stain his soul. But would she be whole? And whether she was or not, how would he face her? What could he say to her recriminations? She would blame him for what she was enduring, and she would be right.

Zach watched as one at a time Kendall's family went in to see her and then returned to the waiting room to commiserate with each other over her condition and the "terrible tragedy" of the situation. He allowed himself a sardonic smile at their hypocrisy - Kendall's loving family. He knew about them, all of them had turned their backs on her at one time or another. None of them had been there for her when she truly needed them, but now when she was unconscious and unable to appreciate their show of devotion they flocked to her side. He wondered absently if any of them would even bother to stick around until she woke up.

Greenlee Lavery - Kendall's "best friend," her step-sister she was more than ready to take advantage of Kendall's devotion now. But last year when someone was drugging Greenlee, she had been one of the first to accuse Kendall. She had married Ryan knowing how much Kendall loved him. He remembered the tapes from Michael's trial. She had ripped Kendall's dress of in the middle of the court room, knowing that exposing Kendall's lie could very easily lead to Kendall's execution.

Erica Kane - Kendall's not-so-sainted mother, she had spent years playing on Kendall's emotions - her need for her mother's love and acceptance. Love and acceptance that Erica continuously denied her daughter. Each time Kendall tried to move on Erica would present her approval as a lure, holding it just out of Kendall's reach until she'd brought her daughter back into line and then Erica would withdraw it again.

Jackson Montgomery - Kendall's stepfather, the patriarch. He preached about uniting their families and yet at the slightest sign that Greenlee might be upset he was ready rip Kendall to shreds to support 'his' daughter.

Zach's cynicism threatened to overwhelm him as he watched Jack comfort Erica and Greenlee - both crying loudly about how devastated they were by Kendall's injury, how much they cared about her and how worried they were. After a moment, however, his attention was diverted by another display. This one was less flamboyant, but far more genuine. He heard Reggie and Lily talking. Lily, who didn't know how to dissemble, was frowning as she asked about the odds for Kendall's recovery. Despite Reggie's assurances that Kendall would be fine Lily looked upset. More disturbed by Lily's heartfelt fears than Erica and Greenlee's tears, Zach finally rose from his chair and made his way to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Erica's voice stopped him in the doorway.

"To sit with my wife," Zach answered turning around to confront her. "I've been very patient. I waited so that all of you would have a chance to see her first, but now it's my turn and I will see her." Zach quickly turned and strode away, not in the mood to argue with the diva. Let Jackson explain the situation to her, the man had married her, so he'd basically volunteered for responsibilities like that.

Zach followed Anita silently as she led him to Kendall's room. When he didn't immediately go in she gave him an encouraging smile. "You can go on in," she said. "The doctor said it was fine, to let her rest but that a few family visitors would be alright." Zach continued to hesitate outside the door so she tried again to reassure him, "She's out cold and if Erica's sobbing didn't wake her I don't think that you need to worry about disturbing her."

Zach nodded to let her know that he'd heard her and then raised his hand to the door. He fought hard to still the trembling that would betray his nerves, and steeled himself for whatever he would see on the other side of that door. He had to face this, to see what his arrogance had cost the woman that he - He broke of unable to even think that right now, she was his wife in name only. His business partner. Maybe, sometimes, his friend. But certainly nothing more. And once she woke up probably not even that much. Taking a deep breath he stepped into the room.

"Betraying bitch" the words echoed in his head as he looked down at Kendall lying so pale against the white sheets. He'd been cruel to her over the last few days, he'd been lying to her for months about Ryan and now here they were. She'd almost died because of him. He stared down at her still form and knew that he'd never forgive himself for this, and that she would likely never forgive him either. "I'm sorry, Kendall," he whispered.

Zach settled down into the chair next to her bed and fought off the temptation to take her hand - he had no right to touch her, no right to take comfort from the warmth of her skin. Warmth that would assure him that despite her stillness, despite how pale she looked did live. He allowed himself to graze a knuckle across her cheek, just that barest of touches to feel that blood still flowed through her veins.

Hours later Zach still sat there beside Kendall's bed. Nothing, not even Erica's tantrums, had been able to convince him to leave Kendall's side once he'd found his way there. He'd called Edie, told her to handle the casino without him, he didn't know when he'd be able to come in, asked her to bring him a few things and to find him a phone number.

Zach stared down at the phone number on the slip of paper in front of him, knowing that this was a step he had sworn a long time ago not to take. His gaze wandered back to his wife, she looked so small and pale lying unconscious on the hospital bed, and he flipped his phone open. He dialed and waited for someone to pick up. When he heard a terse greeting on the other end he spoke, "This is Zach Slater, you said if I ever needed a favor . . ."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Zach fought to focus his bleary gaze on the machine in front of him. It had been almost twelve hours since Aidan Devane had brought him to the hospital, and he'd spent most of the last eight of those hours sitting by Kendall's bed. No one wanted him there - with Kendall. Kendall herself probably wouldn't have picked him to sit by her side. However, he'd been adamant in exercising this right as her husband; once he'd finally taken his place by her side he'd refused to relinquish it. That is until Bianca arrived. She was the one person he had been unable to deny. The moment he left Kendall's room he'd been nearly overwhelmed by fatigue. He'd slept very little, but while he watched he hadn't felt tired. Now all he wanted was coffee, but he couldn't figure out how to make the damn machine give it to him.

Suddenly a hand came into his line of sight. It reached over his shoulder and pushed a button, a moment later he was holding a cup of coffee. Zach didn't turn around. He knew who was standing behind him and he knew that at this moment he wouldn't be able to bear the condemnation in his son's eyes - his son who loved Kendall.

"We fought yesterday," Zach admitted quietly. "She was trying to protect me and I accused of her betrayal, told her to mind her own business and stay out of mine. And now here she is, and it's my fault. This is what _she_ was trying to protect _me_ from, but she's the one who got hurt." Zach shook his head in defeat and started to walk away without ever facing his son.

Despite his anger at the other man, Ethan was unable to let his father continue to torture himself. He reached out, catching Zach's shoulder before he was able to get away. "You couldn't have known this would happen. It's not your fault," he said.

"I should have known," Zach protested swinging around to look at Ethan at last. "I should have protected her. She's my _wife_; I should have been more careful." He broke away striding back to the waiting room and taking a position near the windows.

He was unsurprised to see from his son's approaching reflection in the glass that Ethan had followed him - the boy was nothing if not tenacious.

"Why don't you go home, get some rest," Ethan suggested gently. "Bianca's going to be with her for awhile anyway - she won't be alone. And you've been here all night."

"I'm not going anywhere. I can't leave her. I owe her that much at least."

He turned to face his son and was unable to hide the bitter self-loathing he was currently feeling. "Can you see it, now?" he asked. Seeing Ethan's uncomprehending look he continued. "This is what I was trying to protect you from. I destroy everything that I touch." He trailed off and then whispered the words that had defined so much of his life. "The Cambias curse. We destroy everything . . . "

"Everything that we love," Ethan filled in for him. "That's what you told me - we destroy that which we love." He studied his father for a moment, "You - you can't be saying that you love Kendall?" Shocked by the mere thought of it, he stuttered out the question.

"Love wasn't part of the deal," Zach said. "I wasn't supposed to love her, but somehow, I don't know, somehow she just crept in and I do - I do care about her and I - I did this."

"You're not the one who hurt Kendall," Ethan protested. "She was shot," despite the situation, Ethan couldn't stifle his instinctive urge to taunt his father, "and for once no one believes that you were holding the gun."

"I might as well have been," Zach replied. "I might as well have pulled the trigger myself," he said. "I insisted on trying to help Julia even though I knew it would be dangerous. I didn't consider Kendall, and I should have. My life is one thing, but I had no right to risk hers. All this," Zach spread his hands out, his gestures encompassing the crowd of family and friends that still lingered in the waiting room, "for my guilty conscience," Zach shook his head at the irony. "Helping Julia was supposed to be a way to atone for the way I hurt Maria. How can I possibly atone for what I've done to Kendall?"

"You can't," Ethan answered quietly. "All you can do is pray. Pray that she lives. Pray that she recovers. Pray that she can forgive you." He smiled mirthlessly, "Though, speaking from experience, I have to say that that last might be the most difficult. Kendall - Kendall doesn't forgive easily."

Zach shrugged his acknowledgement of that truth, but didn't speak. He turned back towards the window and gazed out into the parking lot. He noticed with some surprise that it was a beautiful day outside. The sun was bright, the sky blue with just a few fluffy white clouds. He shook his head at the wrongness of it - how could the sun be shining when his world had just collapsed around him? How could the birds be singing and the flowers blooming when Kendall lay unconscious just a few rooms away?

He stifled the urge to protest that it wasn't fair - he wasn't a child to expect fairness from the world. He'd learned along time ago that life wasn't fair, it was one of his father's favorite catch phrases - "Life isn't fair, Alexander. Don't expect it to be. When you're the one who's powerful, you'll understand - 'fair' is for the weak. 'Fair' is for the man who isn't strong enough to make his own luck." Well Zach had become strong and powerful, but he couldn't bend this to his will. "What now, old man?" he muttered, "What do you do when there's no one to cheat?"

Zach was startled from his solitary reverie a few moments later by a commotion at the entrance to the waiting room - Bianca had returned. He watched as Bianca let herself be pulled into her mother's arms. He knew that under the guise of accepting her mother's comfort and support Bianca was really offering Erica support in the only what that she would accept it. He sidled closer so that he could overhear their conversation, but made no move to join it knowing that Erica wouldn't welcome his intrusion.

Erica was reassuring Bianca, or perhaps herself, that Kendall would be alright, that she would wake up and be okay. Joe had told all of them that they would keep Kendall was doing well, but they planned to keep under sedation for at least another day, maybe more - it all depended on her progress. After a time, Bianca managed to free herself from her mother's grasp. She excused herself, explaining that she had left Miranda and Maggie back at the hotel, "No, Mom. You know that a hospital waiting room is no place for a cranky toddler and Miranda didn't get a wink of sleep on the plane." She promised to return to the hospital soon, but she wouldn't bring Miranda with her until Kendall was awake - there was no point in frightening the little girl when Kendall was going to be just fine. Enduring Erica's tearful hug good-bye, Bianca sent Zach a tired smile over her mother's shoulder and left the hospital.

Seeing the crowd at the door discussing whose turn it was to see Kendall, Zach resigned himself to a long wait. It seemed he had monopolized enough of the patient's time that Erica Kane had had an opportunity to marshal her troops. She had arranged a schedule that covered the next several hours and listening as she gave her family their marching orders he couldn't help but notice that she'd left him out of the scheduling. As Greenlee exited the room for her turn to see Kendall, Zach caught the triumphant glance Erica sent his way and correctly interpreted to mean that her omission of him was not accidental.

He sighed and settled down in a chair in the corner. He knew that it would be hours before he got to see Kendall and that the sensible course would be to go home and get some rest. If he returned in a few hours he would have no trouble seeing Kendall. He never doubted that her loving family would quickly grow bored with watching her sleep - their devotion knew definite bounds. Once they left he would be able to resume his position by her side. Zach shook his head and settled further back in his seat, a cold cup of coffee still clutched in his hand. He leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes, but was unsurprised when sleep didn't claim him. He knew that he wouldn't get any rest today. Maybe once he was back in Kendall's room . . . If he could see that she was resting peacefully, and not in peace, maybe he'd finally be able to get some sleep himself.

Making himself as comfortable as possible in the hard plastic chair, Zach resigned himself to spending the day there.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Zach Slater had been careful for years; he'd stayed clean despite the temptations. There were a lot of unsavory people in the casino business but he had always been strictly legitimate. Sure, he knew who most of the players were and there were times when he'd skirted the line in his dealings with those people, but he'd never crossed that line, never even seriously contemplated doing so until now. "Desperate times," he muttered.

He heard the door open behind him and spoke without looking, knowing who it would be. "Thank you for coming," he said simply.

"I owed you," Sonny answered stepping into the room and letting the door fall shut behind him. Five years ago Zach had fired an employee for embezzling from one of his casinos. A year later he'd discovered that the man had falsified a reference with his name on it to get a job working in one of Corinthos's Caribbean casinos. Knowing the consequences he'd hesitated about tipping off the mob boss, but in the end had decided that if Saunders was stupid enough to embezzle from Sonny Corinthos he'd deserve what he got.

"That was just money," Zach responded dully still not raising his eyes from his wife's still form. "This is -" he broke off closing his eyes against the reality of the situation. "What I'm going to ask you, you don't owe me this."

"I was trying to help someone, and I-I got in over my head," Zach confessed. "When I decided to help Julia get her life back, Kendall told me not to do it. She said that someone would end up getting hurt, and I thought I was prepared for that, but I wasn't prepared for this. I wasn't prepared for it to be her. She said - she said that if she got caught in the crossfire I would pay." At long last Zach raised his head to look at Sonny. "She was right, I'm paying now."

"She's my wife," he said quietly. "What do I say if – when - when she wakes up? How do I tell my wife that because of my arrogance she may never walk again?"

Offering comfort had never been Sonny's strong suit, but he'd been in Zach's position more than once. He remembered sitting by Carly's bed praying that she would wake up, and that when she did she would be healthy and whole. He rested a hand on Zach's shoulder. "You can't blame yourself," he said.

"I am to blame," Zach answered. "And I can't make it right. The only thing that I can do now is make sure that it doesn't happen again – make sure that she's safe." He looked up at Sonny. "I need your help," he said.

"Whatever you need," Sonny promised.

"I need a name. I need to know who did this." He held Sonny's gaze as he continued. "You have contacts that I don't have access to. You can find out who ordered this. All I know is that he calls himself the Dragon."

Sonny studied Zach. "If I give you his name," he asked, "what then?" When Zach didn't respond he went on, "You'll go after him? What will that get you? You want him to pay for hurting your wife, I understand that. But the Dragon," Sonny shook his head. "You'll never be able to reach him. He's too well protected."

"I'll manage," Zach said simply.

"No," Sonny said. "No, there's a better way."

"A better way?" Zach questioned. "If he's dead he won't be able to hurt anyone again. That way works for me."

"Let me handle the Dragon," Sonny suggested. "Whatever you want done, I'll see it done. But let me be the one to take care of it." Sonny glanced down at the pale form in the hospital bed. "You should be here, anyway. If you leave the hospital now, even for this, and she, God forbid, she takes a turn for the worse, you'll never forgive yourself."

"You'll handle it?" Zach asked.

"Personally," Sonny swore. After a moment Zach nodded his agreement. "I have to make some calls. I've never done business with the Dragon myself, but I know people who have. Once I find out his name, we can decide on the next step."

Zach nodded again, acknowledging Sonny's words without responding. A moment later he spoke. "If you need a place to stay while you're in town you can go to the casino. I have a suite that I won't be using. You're welcome to my office as well. It's secure and Edie will show you how to turn off the security cameras."

Sonny didn't look surprised at the seeming change in subject, merely blinked calmly before thanking Zach for the offer. "I don't want to put you out," he objected. "Sooner or later you're going to have to sleep."

Zach shook his head. "I don't stay there anyway," he said. "I just keep it for nights when I'm working late."

"Alright," Sonny accepted Zach's offer. "I appreciate it."

"It's the least I can do," Zach replied as Sonny prepared to go. "You're here to do me a favor."

"I owed you one," Sonny repeated his initial greeting.

"And now I owe you," Zach responded. "I won't forget this."

Sonny nodded slightly and turned to go. Before he left he looked back at Kendall for a moment. "I've never met your wife," he said. "But I've heard a enough about her to know that she's a fighter. She'll get through this." He met Zach's tired eyes, "And so will you."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I know that this chapter is short, but hopefully the next one will be longer.

Chapter Five: Flashback

Kendall's heels were clicking loudly on the concrete as she walked briskly through the casino parking lot. She was there looking for Zach; he'd been ignoring her calls all day so she had decided to go for a more direct method of contacting. He had to come back to his office sooner or later, and she would be there waiting for him; then they would discuss this.

Yes, she hated his helping Julia; yes, she just plain hated Julia. Yes, she was afraid for him; yes, Julia was probably going to get him killed. All of these things were still true, but she'd thought things over after their last fight, and she was ready to accept the fact that it was his choice. If he wanted to throw his life away for that whiny little bitch, she really didn't have a right to criticize. After all she hadn't listened to his opinion when she put her life on hold for Greenlee – of course, Greenlee was her best friend while Julia was practically a stranger to him, but that wasn't the point. Kendall was going to prove to her husband that she could be mature about the whole situation. And once he knew that she wasn't trying to interfere anymore maybe he would stop dodging her phone calls.

"Mrs. Slater," Kendall turned instinctively when she heard someone call her name.

She saw two men approaching and frowned in irritation. What did they want? "Is there something I can do for you gentlemen?" she asked forcing herself to smile. She owned half of this casino she reminded herself. They might be customers after all and casinos after all were a business in which customer relations were paramount.

"Your husband has been getting involved in things that don't concern him, Mrs. Slater," one of the men said, holding her attention while a third man crept up behind her.

"I don't know what you're taking about," Kendall answered swallowing nervously. She glancing over her shoulder at the third man and wished that the parking lot weren't so deserted. Keeping her eyes on the man in front of her she fumbled in her purse looking for her cell phone.

"I think you do," the spokesman replied. "Now how about you tell us where your husband is hiding Julia Keefer?"

The three of them surrounded Kendall now, clearly threatening. Her eyes darted around trying to watch all of them and find a way to escape at the same time. She looked over her shoulder at the casino, but it was still too far away for her to have any hope that she would be heard if she were to scream. "Listen," she said placatingly. "I really don't know what you're talking about. I don't keep tabs on what Zach's doing."

The man studied her for a moment before coming to a decision. He shook his head grabbing her arm, "Maybe you don't know anything, but that doesn't really matter at this point. Your husband needs to learn to mind his own business."

"I'll be sure to pass that along next time I see him," she snapped trying to pull away from him.

"I think we'll send that message our own way." he replied revealing the gun that had been hidden underneath his jacket. He allowed her to break free from his grasp but she'd only gotten a few steps before she heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire and felt a burning pain in her back.

Kendall cried out, falling to the pavement. "Hopefully, this will remind your hubby that he should focus his interests closer to home from now on. If not, well, he's next."

Crying in pain Kendall watched as the three men returned to their car and drove away. She struggled to rise, knowing that she needed to find help, but she couldn't seem to make her legs work. Finally, she managed to pull herself as far as her fallen purse. She dug through it pulling out her cell phone and tried to call for help. Nearly incoherent with pain and blood loss, she could only focus on one idea. "Zach," she whispered the name like a talisman. He'd help her, if she could just get him he would save her. Kendall's vision had already begun to go gray at the edges when she pressed the send button praying that he would answer while she was still conscious enough to tell him where to find her. The phone rang and rang, finally she heard his voice mail pick up just as the phone fell from her nerveless hands. Everything went dark.

Zach brought Kendall's twitching hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss to it as he wondered what she was seeing. The first time she had started to move that way he had summoned the doctor immediately, believing it was a sign that she was waking up. The doctor had denied it, warning Zach that Kendall's return to consciousness would be a slow process, and that in the meantime she might move around or even call out. At this level, he said, her comatose state was similar to a deep sleep, and as with sleep she might start dreaming.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"When will my daughter Kendall wake up?" Zach tilted his head listening to Erica and Joe in the hallway outside the hospital room. 'When will Kendall wake up?' that was the question on everyone's minds these days. The drugs that had induced her coma had cleared her system yesterday and they had all waited with baited breath expecting her to wake up but they'd been disappointed.

"We knew this was a risk," Joe explained to Erica for the third time. "When you induce a coma in a patient whose condition is less than completely stable, sometimes – sometimes it takes a while for them to come out of it."

"Takes a while to come out of it," Erica repeated. "Well, when will my daughter wake up, Joe?"

"Erica," the doctor was more patient with Erica than Zach would have been able to manage, "Kendall's been through a severe trauma and she's healing. She'll wake up when she's ready."

Zach tuned out the rest of their discussion, grateful that he was behind closed doors and Erica wouldn't be able to badger him with her worries right now. He looked down at the sleeping woman who had excited everyone's concern. "Whenever you're ready, Kendall," he said quietly. "I'll be here."

Eyes closed Zach stretched, turning his head both ways to pop out the kinks that came from sleeping sitting up in a chair. He'd been sleeping in this chair every night and it wasn't getting anymore comfortable. When all of this was over he was going to have to schedule some time with a chiropractor to repair the damage he'd probably been doing to his back. Despite his physical discomfort Zach had woken up to an unaccustomed feeling of peace. He blinked sleepily wondering what had caused the change. The moment he opened his eyes Zach understood why he suddenly felt so much better. Kendall was awake and watching him. "Zach," he saw his name on her lips, but she didn't quite say it out loud.

He drew in a quick breath and exhaled shakily before reaching out to take her hand. "You're awake," he whispered softly, afraid that just saying the words would destroy their truth.

Kendall snatched her hand away before he was able to grasp it. "Don't touch me!" she hissed.

Each word hit Zach like a physical blow. He dropped his hand back into his lap, taking a moment to gather himself before he spoke again. Finally, "I'll go get your doctor," he said, deliberately keeping his voice even so she wouldn't know how deeply her words had cut him. Zach allowed himself to glance at Kendall one last time before rising to his feet and walking from the room.

Kendall watched him go, unable to explain to herself why she was so disappointed when he left. She shouldn't want him here. This was his fault – she knew that much. So why was she so hurt that he was leaving without a fight? Part of her wanted to call him back, but her pride prevented it – if he didn't want to stay she certainly wasn't going to beg him.

Stepping out into the brightly lit hallway, Zach rubbed a hand across his eyes, telling himself that the wetness his hand encountered there was the result of the sudden change in lighting not Kendall's rejection. Zach grabbed a passing orderly and sent him to fetch Dr. Martin then sent a nurse into the room to begin checking her over while they waited for the doctor. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he started down the hall towards the waiting room that the Kane-Montgomery clan had commandeered that first night Kendall was brought into the hospital and subsequently refused to relinquish. Any of Kendall's family or friends that happened to be in the hospital at the moment would be there.

Erica, Simone and Greenlee were alone in the waiting room when Zach entered. They all looked up at him in shock – it had been days since he'd left Kendall's side without being pried away. "Kendall's awake," he announced simply. For a few moments he endured a torrent of questions that he was unable to answer before cutting them off. "Joe Martin's with her now. I'm sure he will come out here and update you all on Kendall's condition as soon as he's finished."

Finished delivering his news Zach turned to go but was halted by Erica's shrill inquiry, "And just where do you think you're going?" she demanded to know.

Zach didn't turn around refusing to meet what he knew would be Erica's triumphant smile at what she perceived as his retreat. "Work," he said. "Kendall's awake now so my presence is no longer necessary, and - as everyone has made it clear that it's also unwelcome - I will inflict myself upon you no longer. If I'm needed for anything you should be able to reach me at the casino."

Zach managed to hold onto his stoic demeanor until he reached the sanctuary of his office, not losing control of his emotions until he was safely behind closed doors. Concerned when he didn't return or even acknowledge her greeting, Edie followed at a discreet distance as Zach walked through the lobby. She had just reached his office door and was about to knock when she was stopped by a crash and then the sound of breaking glass. Edie had seen the boss in a rage before – not often but twice before in the years that she'd been working for Mr. Slater he'd felt the need to vent his frustrations by destroying his office. The first time it happened she had rushed in, concerned that he was hurt, and had received the most brutal dressing down of her career. She hadn't repeated that mistake, from then on she'd learned to be wary of the boss in that type of a mood. Now she stood guard outside the office, making sure that no one else would disturb him until he'd had the chance to calm down.

A few minutes later she knocked quietly on the door. Edie's knock went unanswered but she pushed the door opened anyway taking in the devastation – this was beyond anything she'd witnessed before. Most of the furniture had been upended - indeed one wooden chair had been reduced to fragments, papers were strewn across the room, the glass shards scattered at the base of one wall and a dripping stain made it clear that not only a single glass but an entire decanter had been hurled against the wall. And Zach was sitting on the floor slumped against the far wall of the office.

"Sir," Edie managed to say, "Is there anything I can do?" She didn't dare to ask any of the other questions that were running through her mind, especially not the one in particular that worried her the most – 'Was Mrs. Slater alright?' Edie knew what had kept Mr. Slater away from the casino for so long; indeed, she had been the one to deliver his changes of clothing to the hospital along within any documents requiring his immediate attention. She could only assume that his outburst now resulted from a change in his wife's condition. And, given his rage, she assumed that the change had been for the worse. If that was the case, then mentioning her name was likely to provoke another explosion.

Zach looked up at her in surprise, registering her presence for the first time. Using the wall to support himself he rose to his feet. He took a few deep breaths, struggling for composure. "Do you know if Mr. Corinthos is upstairs?" he asked.

Edie blinked, that wasn't the response she'd been expecting. "I believe so, sir," she answered. "He used your office this morning to make some phone calls, but afterwards I believe that he returned to the suite."

Zach nodded, starting out of the room. He paused in the doorway, turning back towards Edie, "Send someone in to take care of this mess," he ordered, "and tell them to be careful of the broken glass."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Zach rode the elevator in silence, his forbidding expression ensuring that none of the guests who got on and off the elevator during the long trip up to the pent house suite attempted to speak with him.

"Man, you look like hell," the words slipped out as Sonny opened the door to admit Zach into the suite. Grimacing at his own lack of tact he barged on. "What happened? Is it – your wife?" Zach hadn't left the hospital once in the days since Sonny came to Pine Valley, he couldn't imagine what situation could have driven the other man away from her bedside except . . .

"She's awake," Zach replied shortly pouring himself a drink. He turned back towards Sonny paying careful attention to the way the liquid churned against the sides of the glass. "She woke up," he repeated.

"That's good news, isn't it?" Sonny asked warily, concerned that Slater didn't seem pleased by this turn of events. "What are you doing here? Your wife just woke up from a coma why aren't you with her?"

"Kendall doesn't want me there," Zach had to force out the admission.

"She asked you to leave?"

"Not in so many words but she made herself pretty damn clear." Zach finished the drink, slammed his glass down on the coffee table and turned away. "It doesn't matter now," he said closing the subject before Corinthos could pry further. "What matters is taking care of the Dragon. I have to make sure that she's safe now; I owe her that."

"Alright," Sonny accepted the subject change without argument. "The Dragon," he said walking over to the desk and sorting through the papers that were scattered across it. "This is everything that I've managed to dig up on Garrett Williams, aka the Dragon. An apparently legitimate businessman operating out of New York; he's engaged to Mimi Reed, the police captain who's been tasked with bringing him in. Got to hand it to the guy, it takes stones to cozy up to a woman whose job it is to bring you down," Sonny sighed thinking back to Hannah Scott.

Sonny picked up a folder containing detailed notes on all of Williams' holdings, both his legitimate business interests and his more questionable activities. He handed Zach a picture, "This is your guy. He's got quite an impressive resume, started out as an enforcer under Frank Smith, worked his way up. He was a hitter for a while, got more than one kill under his belt. When Smith went down Williams struck out on his own; he'd already made a bit of a name for himself. He's got his own organization in the city now; not as big as mine but he's not exactly small time either."

"He's also got a thing for young girls, not exactly pedophilia but they do tend to be jailbait." Sonny tossed the folder down in front of Zach, "So the question is – what do you want?"

Zach picked up the folder and leafed through it idly. In a matter of days Corinthos had managed to get a comprehensive dossier on a man that Zach himself had spent weeks researching without even finding a name. He didn't bother to read the folder, Sonny had given him the highlights he didn't need any more details.

"I want Kendall to walk again," Zach said bleakly. "But for right now, I'll settle for making sure that she's safe," he met Sonny's eyes without flinching, "whatever that takes."

Sonny nodded choosing not to comment on Zach's initial response. "Alright," he answered, "I see two ways that can happen. The Dragon's either going to have to die or go to prison."

"Prison?" Zach repeated in surprise, "would that be enough? With his connections he could still get to her from jail and if he thinks that I'm responsible . . ." Zach trailed off. Julia and Noah had gone into the WPP because they feared retaliation for testifying against one of the Dragon's underlings – he wanted Kendall safe but he was determined to do that without destroying her life; no matter the cost to himself.

"You wouldn't be involved," Sonny promised, "He'd have no reason to strike back at either of you. I can break his power structure at the same time anyway. I do this, he won't have the juice to order a hit from prison. It would be enough; you'd both be safe."

He looked at Zach seriously, "Question is, would it be enough for you? He shot your wife, if you want blood I could understand that."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I know that this update has been a long time coming and I'm sorry. Thank you to everyone who's still reading. I promise I haven't given up on this story.

**Chapter Eight**

"If you want blood I could understand that," Sonny's words echoed in Zach's ears.

Zach did want blood, at that moment he could gladly have beaten the Dragon to death with his bare hands. Zach had failed to protect his wife and now he wanted revenge. An eye for an eye – it was an old concept but it was one he could connect to. The ones who had harmed Kendall should be harmed in return. He wanted the Dragon to bleed; he wanted to wring from his hide every drop of blood that Kendall had lost, to stand and watch as his life's blood soaked the ground. "Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, blood and revenge are hammering in my head," he muttered.

After a long moment he set down the file, still unread and turned to Sonny with a regretful sigh. "It doesn't matter what I want," he said finally. "What matters is the best way to keep Kendall safe. The Dragon has an extensive organization - we kill him and there's always the chance that someone will want revenge and be stupid enough to come looking for it. I'm not looking for a war – I'm looking to end one. You think that sending him to prison can do that, it'll have to be enough for me."

Back in Kendall's hospital room Erica Kane was sitting by her daughter's bedside and clutching her hand – the picture of motherly devotion while the doctor explained what Kendall could expect for the next few months. Bianca sat on Kendall's waiting patiently, and prepared to intercede if Erica's attentions turned out to be too stressful for the newly conscious Kendall.

Now that she was awake, Kendall's doctors were finally able to assess the extent of her injuries damage and her chances at recovery. All in all, the prognosis was good. The damage to Kendall's spine was extensive but not irreversible. There was every reason to expect that with hard work Kendall would regain full use of her legs. From the instant the work paralysis crossed the doctor's lips Kendall had gone numb. She'd nodded dully at appropriate intervals but she hadn't really registered anything that he was saying – she was too busy trying to understand everything that had happened – she had been shot, very nearly maimed.

"When you're ready we can recommend several wonderful physical therapists. It's probably best that you stay here in the hospital for a little while longer, but really you'll be home in no time. Though we will expect you back for regular progress checks, alright?" the doctor concluded at last smiling almost as much at Erica as at Kendall. "I'm just going to leave you all alone now to talk about how you want to proceed. I'll check in on you in a little while."

Meanwhile, Erica sat at attention; one could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she listened to the doctor's report. She barely managed restrain herself and wait for the doctor had left the room before she spoke, "Oh Kendall, darling this is wonderful news. I can see it now, we'll do it all on my show."

"It will be wonderful – a whole show, no a series of shows dedicated to your rehabilitation and physical therapy, you'll be dancing again in no time. This will be your New Beginning my darling and all of America will be watching and cheering for you."

Bianca stared at her mother in horror as she prattled on oblivious to the fear in Kendall's eyes. "Mother!" she interrupted at last. "I'm not sure that that is such a good idea."

Erica turned to Bianca with a surprised look on her face. "Bianca, I'm surprised at you," she chided her younger daughter. "It's a wonderful idea. The whole country will be inspired by your sister's valiant struggle to overcome this tragedy. It will give my viewers the chance to see how we Kane's can defeat any adversity."

"Mom," Bianca protested again, "Kendall's going to need to be totally focused on getting better. And she's going to need support from all of us, and she is going to need doctors following her progress, not cameras."

"Of course Kendall will have our support and she'll have the best doctors and the best therapists in the world, but she can have so much more than that darling. She can have the support of America." Erica's eyes were shining as she envisioned the nation coming together to support her daughter as Kendall got back on her feet.

Still lost in her own ruminations Kendall barely registered the argument going on literally right over her head. _Surgery_, she finally grasped that thought – _he had said that they'd done surgery. They had fixed . . . something. Did that mean she **was** going to be able to walk?_

The fact that Kendall wasn't pitching a fit at Erica's plans finally clued Bianca in to the fact that her sister had no idea what was going on. Squeezing Kendall's hand comfortingly, she looked over at Erica. "How about we leave this discussion for later, when Kendall is feeling up to participating?" she suggested. "For now, I think she needs some time to process this."

"Oh very well," Erica huffed privately resolving to get in touch with her producers immediately and start making plans. "In the meantime I should go talk to Jack. We're going to need to get a room ready for Kendall right away – the doctor did say she could come home soon." Erica stood up, brushing out the wrinkles in her skirt as she prepared to go spread the joyous news.

"I think he meant _her_ home, Mom," Bianca argued following Erica into the hallway in a desperate bid to protect Kendall from their mother's overzealous planning.

"_Her_ home?" Erica repeated scandalized. "You mean go back to that condo? And who do you suppose will be looking after her – that dreadful man?"

"Zach is her husband," Bianca reminded Erica gently. "And while she was in that coma he never left her side. Obviously he cares about her."

"Cares about her? Ha!" Erica countered triumphantly. "He couldn't leave fast enough once she woke up. If he cared about her he would have stayed here to talk to her doctors." She took Bianca's arm, pulling her back towards the waiting room and their family. "No, Bianca," she said, "we're the ones who care about Kendall and it will be up to us to take care of her. That's why she'll be moving in with me and Jack until she's completely healed."

Releasing Bianca's arm Erica entered the waiting room with her head held high and her face wreathed in smiles. As soon as Erica released her Bianca headed back to Kendall's room to see how she was doing.

"Binks?"

Bianca was greeted by her sister's worried expression when she entered the room. "I'm here, Kendall," she assured her.

"What's going on?" Kendall's voice took on a high, sharp tone as she asked the question, clearly on edge. "The doctor said something about surgery and paralysis and I don't . . ." she trailed.

"Oh Kendall," Bianca sighed as she sat down by the bed and started to explain.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Zach stepped up to the door and knocked purposefully. He wasn't looking forward to this confrontation but it really couldn't be avoided any longer. It had been over a week since he'd last visited the safe house that he'd arranged for Julia Keefer. He knew that Aidan Devane had stopped by a couple of times to drop off provisions but other than that Julia had been left alone here.

It was perhaps cruel to leave her so isolated but he hadn't been willing to leave Kendall, and he hadn't been ready to face the reason Kendall was in that hospital bed. Zach shook his head at that though – it wasn't fair of him to blame Julia, Kendall's injury wasn't her fault, it was his. He was the one who insisted on getting involved and then didn't take any steps to protect her. Still if he'd been forced to confront Julia before Kendall regained consciousness he might not have been able to remember that, so he had left Julia alone. She was safe here, both from the Dragon's men and from her own recklessness – that was more than he had been able to give Kendall.

Waiting outside the door Zach began to wonder, and in the back of his mind to hope, that Julia might have grown so impatient with his absence that she had started out on her own again relieving him of the obligation that he no longer wanted. Helping Julia had been his idea, his penance, but he no longer cared enough to help her – whatever guilt he felt over Maria Grey had been eclipsed by the devastation of Kendall's injuries.

"Where have you been?" Julia's irate demand interrupted his reverie, and dashed his growing hopes. "I'm stuck out here in the woods all by myself and you don't even call or come by. What, you send Aidan to check on me, to see if I'm alive and you figure that's all you owe me. You promised that you'd help me, Zach. Well if you're not going to help me, then I'll help myself. I spent ten years in the witness protection . . ."

Zach let her words wash over him, pushing past her into the cabin as she continued her familiar rant unaware of the fact that he had already stopped listening. When she finally paused for breath he spoke. "You'll have to forgive me," he said not caring whether or not she mistook his words for an apology, "but I've been a little busy. I don't know if Aidan mentioned the fact that my wife was shot, that she spent most of the last week in coma, that the doctors still aren't sure that she'll ever walk again. I apologize if it appears as though I forgot you but the truth is your problems were just not at the top of my list."

While Julia stared at him in shock, his previous behavior having given her the impression that he would accept all of her threats and abuse without complaint, Zach continued, "I came to tell you that the situation is very nearly resolved. The Dragon will be taken care of by this time next week and you'll be able come out of hiding."

"No!" Julia exclaimed the manic gleam in her eyes brightened by the onset of angry tears. "No. I'm the one who's supposed to 'take care' of him. You were only supposed to give me a name. So just tell me who he is and I'll go – I'll do it right now. I don't want you to do it. He killed my Noah and I want to be the one -"

"I don't care what you want," Zach interrupted her, his voice harsh with the strength of the anger he was trying to suppress. "This stopped being about what you want the day my wife got shot. I came here as a courtesy, to tell you that it's almost over, not to listen to your complaints about how I'm handling the situation. I know who the Dragon is now and things are already in motion."

"What just like that?" Julia asked her voice shrill with accusation. "You've claimed to be searching for his identity all this time but then Kendall gets shot and all the sudden you know who he is and 'things are in motion.' Why didn't you do this before, Zach? If it was so easy to get his name why didn't you have it weeks ago?"

"Yeah, just like that," Zach agreed with a bitter laugh. "But there was nothing easy about this. As for why not before; I didn't want to do this. I would have found his name the other way, it would have taken longer but I would have gotten it eventually – and I would probably have told you and then had to go chasing after you to make sure you didn't get yourself killed." Zach shook his head, brushing off that tangent, that wasn't the way things had gone. "There are things I wouldn't have done for you," he said simply, pointedly offering no apology. "I was going to help you as much as I could, but I wouldn't have done this," he sighed trying to change the subject – Julia didn't need to know the details of his bargain with the devil. "I'll go no more," he sighed. "I am afraid to think what I have done."

"What did you do that's _so awful_," Julia glared at him unsympathetically. He'd promised to help her and now he was saying that he wouldn't have done whatever was necessary to help her. "What wouldn't you have done for me?"

"I asked for help from someone that I've tried very hard not to get involved with, someone who is in a position to know who the Dragon is because he's in the same business," Zach's answer didn't explain anything.

"You asked for help?" Julia repeated. "Be still my heart, the world will surely end – Zach Slater asked for help."

Zach gave her a withering look; not in the mood to appreciate her attempts at humor. "Corinthos isn't doing me any favors, you know. Help from a man like him comes at a price. And I'm not even going to know what that price is until he calls in his debt, but I'm going to have to pay it – and I will because it's necessary to keep Kendall safe and I owe her that much at least."

He waited to see if some comprehension would dawn in her eyes. When it didn't he decided to make his position clear. "I've put myself in debt to a dangerous man to get this taken care of," he said. "You will stay out of the way until it's done. Then you can have your life back; go to California, stay here, I don't care what you do. I've lost too much because of you already."

"You can't mean Kendall?" Julia laughed. "You can't really be this worked up over that selfish witch. It was a marriage of convenience, Zach. And if you ask me, it sounded pretty damn inconvenient."

"No one asked you," Zach answered coldly.

Kendall lay back in her hospital bed and stared at the ceiling. For the first time since she opened her eyes she'd been left alone for a few minutes – no doctors or nurses, and no family – it was something of a relief, but it also gave her time to think. She closed her eyes and focused on her legs, she didn't want to push herself too hard but she had to try something so she concentrated on her feet – trying to flex her toes. The doctors said it might take awhile for the swelling in her spinal cord to go down enough for her to regain sensation and control over her lower extremities, but they still hoped that it would happen. Kendall opened her eyes looking down at the outline of her feet beneath the covers and at her extended toes. Suddenly she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts anymore; Kendall couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes.

She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back a sob as she heard the door knob turning. Bianca was back, and she had to be strong for Bianca. She couldn't let her little sister see how upset she was.

"I can't believe that you could be so selfish."

Kendall looked up in surprise at the sound of her stepsister's voice. Greenlee came over and gave Kendall a brief hug before settling down at the side of her bed to continue her rant. "I told you that staying married to that man would ruin everything. You know, you were supposed to be carrying my baby. But no, you had to stay with that man who got you shot and now all that work we went through injecting me with those fertility treatments is wasted. Now you're going to be in a wheelchair for months, if not longer; there's no way we can get you pregnant."

Kendall was instantly swamped with guilt as she realized that Greenlee wasn't going to be able to have the baby that she so desperately needed to hold back her grief over Ryan's death. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to get shot." It wasn't until she was actually saying the words that Kendall realized how ridiculous it was for her to be apologizing to Greenlee.

If Greenlee noticed the irony she didn't show it. "It's okay, Kendall," she assured her best friend with a forced smile. "I forgive you, and we'll find another way. It's my destiny to have Ryan's baby, so I'm sure that it will happen." She paused as she considered her options. "I'll ask Dr. Madden whether he thinks that you would be able to carry the baby even though you're in a wheelchair. Surely handicapped people get to have babies too?" Greenlee thought about that for a moment, not noticing the distress that this topic was causing her dear friend.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Bianca paused outside the closed door and wondered for the thousandth time whether or not she was doing the right thing – her mother certainly wouldn't think so and Kendall probably wouldn't thank her for it either, but she didn't see any other choices at this point. This was for Kendall she reminded herself firmly as she knocked on the office door.

"Go away."

Not the most welcoming greeting but Bianca was a Kane and it was going to take more than a gruff dismissal to stop her from doing something she thought was necessary. She pushed opened the door and stepped into the office.

Zach heard the door open but didn't bother to look up. "I said 'go away,'" he repeated with a growl. "What part of that did you not understand?"

"The part where you actually expected me to leave," Bianca answered him. She had to force a smile instead of gasping when he finally looked at her – he looked like hell. He clearly hadn't shaved in days and Bianca was certain that it had been just as long since he had bathed. His eyes were bloodshot Bianca wasn't sure whether that was the result of lack of sleep or the nearly empty liquor bottle at the edge of his desk – probably some combination of both.

"I'm not going to let you avoid me Zach. We have to talk," Bianca said shutting the door firmly behind her.

_We have to talk_, Zach shook his head in mute denial, he hated those words – talking never fixed anything.

"Tell Kendall I won't fight her on the divorce," he said roughly. "I'm sure that Jackson has had the papers ready since the day he found out Kendall and I were married. Just – just have them sent to my office and I'll – I'll sign whatever she wants."

"I'm not here to convince you to divorce my sister," Bianca told him smiling slightly as she considered the irony – that was really not why she was here.

"I've stayed away from the hospital – I haven't been by to see Kendall since she woke up. What more does Erica want?" _Had Erica found out that he was getting reports from Kendall's doctors? Did she expect him to give up even that small comfort? _

"I'm not here on my mother's behalf, either." Bianca said solemnly, holding back a nervous laugh. "In fact, when she finds out what I'm doing mother is probably going to kill me."

"What are you doing?" Zach's face was deliberately expressionless as he regarded his sister-in-law but his dark eyes gave away the depth of his pain. "Are you here to tell me that this is my fault? Believe me, that's not necessary; I know what I've done and I don't expect anyone to forgive me." He picked up his glass, but with Bianca standing there watching he was unable to drink – he didn't deserve to forget, and if Bianca was here to remind him of that he had no right to refuse her. He set the glass back down and waited for her condemnation.

Bianca took a deep breath, "I'm not here to throw stones at you, Zach. I'm here because I want to know how you're going to help my sister."

"She's safe now, Bianca," Zach promised. "I've already taken care of it – no one is going after her again."

Bianca winced, deciding that she didn't want to know how Zach had 'taken care of it.' "That's good to know," she said, "but it's not what I meant. I'm asking what you're willing to do to help her get better."

"I'm going to stay as far away from her as I can get so that she doesn't get hurt again," Zach answered.

"That's very generous of you. But what are you willing to do that will actually _help_ Kendall?"

"Do you think I don't want to help her, Bianca? Do you think there's anything I wouldn't do to make this right? I can't fix this – all I can do is keep my distance so that I don't hurt her anymore."

"Are you really that much of a coward?" Bianca challenged him. "You can tell yourself that you're keeping your distance for her sake but the truth is you don't want to face Kendall. You don't want to look at her and see her hurt so you're just going to hide here in your casino and tell yourself that you're doing it for her. Well you're not doing it for her – it's not what she needs."

"I got her shot, Bianca. Don't you understand, it's my fault! It's my fault Kendall's in that bed and she knows it. She doesn't need me; she doesn't want me any where near her. And I don't blame her."

"She does need you," Bianca's voice was quiet but firm. "I think you may be the only one who can help her."

"What could she possibly need with me, Bianca? She has you; she has Jackson and Greenlee and Reggie and Lily. She has Erica," Zach laughed bitterly at the last. "What would she need me for?"

"**That's** what she needs you for," Bianca told him. "Mother means well, but she's out of control Zach. She's . . . she's just taken Kendall over. She's already started arranging her recovery – she plans to move Kendall into the penthouse with her and Jack so that she can 'take care of her.'"

Zach's lips quirked as he suppressed a smirk at the thought of Kendall moving in with her mother – _Kendall and Erica under one roof, poor Jack_, he thought

Bianca caught the slight change in Zach's expression but she wasn't nearly as amused. "You think that's funny?" she asked bitterly, "Well listen to this. She wants to make Kendall's rehab a part of her show. Zach, she expects Kendall to get up on camera day after day and learn to walk again. Can you imagine? I mean this is going to be hard enough for Kendall without the stress of having to 'perform for the public.' She can't do it, Zach. She's going to need to be able to do this in her own time, at her own pace – not according to Mom's schedule."

Bianca's rant brought a cynical smile to Zach's lips – _Erica would never change_. "What's Kendall saying about all this?"

"That's the part that worries me most," Bianca answered. "Kendall's not saying anything. The more Mom talks the quieter Kendall gets – it's like she's retreating inside of herself. She's not fighting Zach and it scares me."

_Kendall always fights, especially with Erica_ – the thought was unspoken between them, but both Zach and Bianca knew that Kendall not fighting with Erica was a bad sign, especially now. Zach had been in nearly constant contact with Kendall's doctors, he knew that her recovery was going to be a long and difficult process but he had never doubted she would manage it – Kendall was a fighter, she was strong and she never gave up, he had been certain she would get through this.

"What do you want from me Bianca?" Zach asked at last. "Kendall has made herself very clear – she wants me to stay as far away from her as possible. I'm trying to respect that."

"Well stop," Bianca exclaimed. "I don't care what Kendall wants, I care what Kendall needs, and right now that is someone to push her to get better, someone to make her fight, someone to protect her from mother."

Bianca's eyes filled with tears as she remembered the vacant defeated look that had been in Kendall's eyes that afternoon. "From where I'm standing it looks like you have the best shot. So do it. Help my sister Zach. Because someone has to and God knows she's not doing anything to help herself.

"Why me?" Zach looked across the desk at Bianca. "You know what Kendall needs, why don't you help her?"

"There are a lot of reasons why I can't be the one to do this, Zach. I have a child to take care of – I can't give Kendall the attention that she's going to need without neglecting Miranda. And, Kendall won't accept that kind of help from me – you know her, she feels like she has to protect me, so she won't let me see how much help she needs and she won't fight with me, she won't let me push her the way she's going to need to be pushed. And finally, there's Mother, she won't let me be the one to take care of Kendall. I can talk until I'm blue in the face but she won't listen to me and before I can even turn around she'll have those video cameras out. No," she concluded, "it has to be you, Zach."

"You think Erica's going to listen to me?" Zach countered.

"I didn't think you'd ask her at all," Bianca smiled at that. "You're Kendall's husband, you won't need anyone's permission to check her out of the hospital."

"You want me to kidnap your sister?" he asked, amused at the notion.

"Think of it as a rescue mission."

Zach sobered shaking his head as he heard Bianca's characterization. "Don't cast me as your hero, Bianca," he reminded her bitterly, "it must not be denied but I am a plain dealing villain. The very fact that Kendall needs rescuing should be your proof of that."

"Don't do this because you want to be a hero, do it because it's the only way to help Kendall."

"I don't know." Zach's eyes came to rest on the half-full glass of whiskey in front of him. "You didn't see the way Kendall looked at me when she woke up, Bianca. My 'help' my do more harm than good."

"It can't possibly do more harm than Mother's brand of help," Bianca said. "It's the only way, Zach. Mother is planning on checking Kendall out of the hospital tomorrow afternoon. If you want to help, Kendall needs to be gone by the time she gets there."

Bianca met and held Zach's gaze as she delivered her parting shot. "I know you'll do the right thing Zach," she said forcing a confident smile on her face before she turned to go.

Zach was left looking at the closed door. "I only wish I knew what the right thing was," he muttered draining his glass and picking up the whiskey bottle again.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

"Ms. Kane! Ms. Kane, please stop, I have to tell you . . ."

Erica ignored the doctor who bobbed along trying to catch her attention as she swept through the halls of Pine Valley Memorial Hospital towards her daughter's room. Today was a glorious day – today she was bringing her daughter home from the hospital to start her new life. Best of all there was a crew of cameramen waiting at the penthouse to record Kendall's home coming. She had considered having them meet her here to record every step of the journey but decided that their _arrival_ would be more fitting, more of a 'beginning,' while leaving the hospital was more of an ending – and besides her viewers didn't want to see her doing tedious paperwork. The ride home would give her a probably much needed chance to assess Kendall's makeup and wardrobe choices as well.

"Kendall, my darling," she called as she came into her daughter's room. "Today is the day . . . Kendall?" Her gaze swept over the empty bed and around the small room.

"Where is my daughter?" Erica demanded to know tossing her hair over her shoulder as she swung around to face the doctor who had followed her into the room. "Kendall is supposed to be coming home today – tell me you haven't taken her off for more useless tests."

"This is what I was trying to tell you Ms. Kane. Your daughter isn't here. She's already gone home. She checked out this morning."

"That's absurd," Erica objected stamping her foot in outrage. "Kendall has just suffered a horrible ordeal; she can't even walk and you people just let her check herself out with no one to take care of her. What were you thinking? If anything has happened to my daughter Kendall because of your negligence I will . . ."

"But Ms. Kane," the now white faced doctor gulped nervously as he interrupted her, "you don't understand. Your daughter didn't check herself out. She left with her husband."

* * *

Three hours earlier

His pace hadn't faltered as Zach walked through the halls of the hospital, but he slowed to a halt when he found himself approaching a familiar door. For days he'd practically lived in that room as he waited for Kendall to regain consciousness, now he couldn't even bring himself to open the door. He moved to the window peering in the open blinds and hoping for the chance to watch the woman inside unnoticed. Since the moment he had been drawn to her from their first meeting and had tried to deny it. He had succeeded in denying himself every pleasure but this, sometimes he let himself look at her. 'Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze,' he whispered. Where before, looking at Kendall had been an indulgence of pure pleasure it was now bittersweet. Looking at Kendall was always pleasing on a purely aesthetic level, but now she looked so small and pale against the white sheets of the hospital bed, her eyes were closed and she lay so still that he nearly feared she had slipped back into her coma. After a moment her head turned proving that she was awake. She looked in his direction and he flinched back knowing the anger that would greet him if he met her eyes. If she saw him, though, her face betrayed no reaction.

After reaching the conclusion that she wasn't truly looking in his direction Zach moved closer letting his hand rest against the glass as he took advantage of the opportunity to study her. His heart ached as he watched silent tears leak from her eyes. He wished that he could offer her some comfort but knew that she wouldn't accept it from him. He knew that she would never forgive him – he would never be able to have her for himself, but he would do anything to bring that spark back into her spirit, the fire back into her eyes. No matter how much she hated him at the end of it.

"Mr. Slater?"

Zach stiffened, carefully blanking his expression before he turned around to face the young orderly who'd called his name.

"Dr. – Dr. Crosby will be with you shortly," she promised stuttering slightly, intimidated by the cold eyes of the man in front of her.

Zach nodded without speaking, and turning back towards Kendall's room, he forced himself to go to the door this time.

Kendall wiped her eyes quickly trying to erase the traces of her tears as she heard the door begin to open. The smile that she had forced onto her face in preparation for her mother's entrance quickly disappeared as she saw who had entered her room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Zach winced at the unmistakable hostility in her tone, but forced himself to adopt a casual expression. "My wife is finally being released from the hospital," he answered, "where else would I be?"

"I'm sure somewhere out there one of the Santos sisters needs saving," Kendall snapped. "Maybe Anita has a hangnail you can help her with."

Zach closed his eyes and took a deep breath, refusing to be drawn in by Kendall's bitterness. He wouldn't let her drive him away – if her anger was to be part of his penance then so be it. "I'm sorry," he forced the words out as he met her resentful gaze. "When I got involved in Julia's quest I knew that it might be dangerous. I should have taken steps to protect you."

He moved closer to Kendall's bed finally settling in the chair at her side; remembering that she had flinched away from his touch when she woke up, he didn't make the mistake of reaching for her hand. "I don't expect you to forgive me Kendall – I'm not even going to ask for your forgiveness. But I promise you this: I will do anything in my power to help you, anything I can to make this easier for you."

"I don't want your help," Kendall muttered hunching her shoulders and turning away from him as best she could when half of her body seemed to be just dead weight. "I just want you to _go away_."

"That's not going to happen," Zach answered. "You still need me, and I'm going to be here for as long as you do."

"I don't need you," Kendall spat the words at him. "I don't need anything from you."

"You need someone," he argued quietly. "Things are going to be rough for awhile and you're going to need help. Right now it looks like your options are me or your mother. I know that you don't want anything to do with me, but I can promise that if you come with me there won't be any camera crews. I can give you the time and space that you need to recover at your own pace."

* * *

"Bianca, are you here?" Erica called out as she let herself into her daughter's apartment.

"What is it, Mother?" Bianca asked wiping paint off of her hands as she came out of the kitchen. "Miranda and I are kind of busy right now."

"Oh Bianca, darling it's your sister," Erica was visibly upset, wringing her hands as she thought of her poor daughter.

"Kendall? I thought she was getting better; wasn't she supposed to go home today?" Bianca avoided her mother's eyes as she pretended innocence.

"Yes, exactly. She was supposed to _come home_. But when I went to the hospital to get her, she was _gone_. Bianca, your sister is missing!"

"Missing?" Bianca repeated. "She was in the hospital, she couldn't have just disappeared. What did they say?"

"Oh, the hospital," Erica scoffed. "They just let him _take_ her."

Bianca turned away under the pretext of straightening the couch cushions as she tried to hide her triumphant smile – Zach had listened to her. "Let who take her?" she asked. "There are procedures when you check out of the hospital, surely they didn't just release her to some stranger."

"They might as well have. _That man_ certainly can't be trusted to take care of Kendall. It's his fault she was hurt in the first place."

"'That man,' mother? I assume you mean Zach, Kendall's husband."

"Husband! He's not her husband, Bianca. It was a business deal; he has no _business_ keeping her from her family. Certainly not at a time like this."

Bianca sighed. "I'm sure that Zach isn't holding Kendall prisoner, mother. He wouldn't try to keep her from us, and he wouldn't have taken her against her will. Why don't you go talk to Kendall? Find out why she went with him."

"Of course he took her against her will – she was planning to come home with me, to let me take care of her! And now he's hidden her away and I can't even check on her, make sure she's alright."

"Zach wouldn't have hurt Kendall, Mom. I'm sure she's fine."

"Well she's not at home. I went to her condo, I even went to his condo – they aren't there. She's not at the hospital and she's not home with me where she's supposed to be. How am I supposed to believe she's alright if I can't find her?"

"Why don't you just call Zach, mother?" Bianca suggested frowning slightly, Kendall disappearing entirely had not been part of her plan. "I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this."

"I shouldn't have to go through _him_ just to see my own daughter," Erica objected. "I have no intention of calling Zach Slater. Besides, I wouldn't even know how to reach him." Erica's lips curved into an unbecoming pout as she dismissed the possibility.

Bianca sighed again and went to look for her purse, funny how she always found herself playing the grown up in conversations with her mother.

"What are you doing?" Erica asked as Bianca walked away from her.

"Looking for my phone," Bianca answered impatiently. "I'm going to call Zach and check on Kendall."

Scrolling through her list of contacts Bianca quickly found Zach's cell phone number and hit 'send.'

"You mean to tell me you have that man's phone number," Erica's question came out as more of an accusation.

"Of course I have his phone number, mother - he's Kendall's husband and Miranda's uncle."

"Zach!" Bianca couldn't keep the relief out of her voice when she heard Zach answer on the other end. "Where are you? Is Kendall with you?"

"As you requested," Zach answered. "I picked her up from the hospital this morning."

"And where are you?" Bianca repeated her question. "Mom is with me and she says that she already stopped by Kendall's condo and my sister isn't there."

"No, she's not there," Zach agreed. "I've moved her into one of the penthouses at the casino. I went over to Kendall's place last night and realized that it was totally unsuitable for an invalid, definitely not wheelchair friendly. It will be much easier for Kendall to manage here. She'll have room service and access to all of the spa facilities; I've cleared out the adjoining room so that the physical therapist can bring in any equipment that she needs. And I've alerted security so that they can keep out any unwanted guests – especially anyone holding a video camera."

Bianca laughed. "It sounds like you have everything under control," she said. "Tell Kendall that Miranda and I will come by to visit her this afternoon." She glanced across the room, taking in the outraged expression on her mother's face. "And we probably won't be the only ones," she warned him.

"You knew – you knew that horrible man was going to take your sister and you didn't say anything!" Erica threw out the accusation as soon as she saw Bianca hang up the phone.

"Busted," Bianca muttered to herself.


End file.
